When Angels Fall from Heaven
by Blazed
Summary: A story about Vicious, jumping off from Ballad of the Fallen Angels...(possible VF)
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I did. I would most definitely own Vicious. Yummy...  
  
"When Angels Fall from Heaven..."  
  
Her first mistake had been to hand over the key to her zip craft. The usher at the door had been alerted to be on the lookout for bounty hunters. The White Tigers had done him a favor by putting that bounty out on Mao's head. It was sure to attract bounty hunters from all over the galaxy, including Spike.  
  
Yes, he knew that Spike had spent the last two and a half years as a bounty hunter. Ever since he had faked his death and left the Syndicate, he had kept a close eye on Spike. His death scene had fooled most of the Syndicate, including the Van. The only ones who even suspected that the green-haired man was still alive were those that had been closest to him. Mao had known. The old capo had wasted his last breaths contemplating the future he had planned. The future in which the weak would rule the Syndicate, in which there would be no more bloodshed. No longer would the weak be ruled out, if Mao Yenrai had had his way, the Red Dragons would slowly have weakened and died, a toothless beast with no more reason to live.  
  
He did not want to see that future. He had more respect for the organization that brought him to life. Ever since he was young and taken in by the Syndicate, he had researched old tales, listened to stories told by men old enough to be his grandfather of times gone by. Times when the people of Earth were slowly expanding in the solar system. Times when the former crime organizations such as the American mafia had fallen into disarray. Times when only the Asian triads had the foresight to retain their power, their grip of fear over the populace. As Earth's population left the planet they once called home, the triads left with them to begin anew. Those founding members had followed not only a warrior's code, but a code of brotherhood. That code, that sense of honor was what allowed them to not only to survive, but to flourish.  
  
And now those men had died, lost in the bloody struggles that put the Syndicate into its position of power. Those in power, the remnants of those first brothers, were those who had been too weak to go the front lines. They had been too cowardly to fight alongside their fellow warriors and now they were in control of the Syndicate. His Syndicate.  
  
He could not allow that weakness to be perpetuated. At one time he had thought Spike worthy to take over that leadership role that was expected of him. Now he had seen how easily Spike could fall, how easy it was for him to betray his brothers. The Red Dragons were weak and dying. He planned to let them die. In fact, he would help them along their way, to quicken the end of the once proud Syndicate and prevent further shame. From the ashes would rise a new Syndicate, a Syndicate worthy of the ancient Triads. He would ensure it. 


	2. 1: Elevator to where?

Disclaimer: I still don't own anything. Still wish I did.

When Angels Fall from Heaven…

Chapter 1 : Elevator to Where?

Faye Valentine looked around the interior of the plush limousine she was riding in. 

_If I just ignore all the guns these men are carrying, I could really enjoy this. In fact, that one with that dark hair is kind of cute. Huh. _She scoffed at herself and gave a minute shake of her head. _I really am losing my mind. Maybe it's living with those two men and that crazy mutt. _

_Why do I even stay there? Oh yeah, the free food. Not that there's ever much of it. __Bell__ peppers and beef my ass. Though if we cooked that annoying dog, we could eat for at least a week!_

Faye's armed guards began to shift in their seats, drawing Faye out of her reverie. Her eyes quickly made a sweep of the Syndicate men before peering out the darkly tinted car windows. The limo was gliding to a stop outside of what appeared to be a pretty swank hotel.

The man Faye had dubbed 'cute brunette' opened the limo door and held out his hand to Faye. Deciding to play along with whatever game they were playing, Faye accepted his hand and gracefully climbed out of the car. The five Syndicate men that had been riding in the limo formed a loose circle around their prisoner and began to escort her into the hotel, aptly named _Da Long_, Chinese for Great Dragon.

Inside, the building appeared to have all the elements of a five-star hotel, except for one important one. There were no guests. As Faye scanned the interior of the lobby, she noted the black suited men standing in strategic places around the room. Any possible escape she might have been planning was quickly derailed by the sight of so many armed men.

_Five or six I could handle, _Faye thought to herself, _especially in a room this big. That heavy mahogany counter to my left would make a great shield. If I could make a break for it, I could pick them off one by one._

 _Except that in order to reach that counter, I'd need to run a good forty feet through open space. Hmm…and then of course there are the three men behind the counter. Not to mention the five vultures circling around me. Damn it. _

Faye did some more quick calculating in her head. _By the time I manage to pick off the twenty or so guards in this room, who knows how many reinforcements are waiting upstairs? I can't risk it. Yet._

All this had run through Faye's head in a matter of seconds. Working the casinos so often, she had learned to map out an area and assess the people in it all in one glance. It had always helped to be able to scope out a Gaujo with a tall stack of chips-and the nearest exit in case she got caught scamming him. As it was almost always a him. Faye was a firm believer of using whatever assets you had to your advantage, and her assets clearly were the kind that attracted and more importantly, distracted men. Hopefully she would be able to use her sex appeal to her advantage here as well. She had caught the glance that several of the Syndicate men had sent to her as she walked through the lobby. Her dress was designed to entice and it did its job. Well. 

_I'll just keep playing along with this little game. I overheard them talking to Vicious about using me as a hostage. They can't kill me yet!_

At the thought of the silver-haired man, Faye involuntarily shivered. Never in her life had Faye been so off-put by one man. She feared him, but that wasn't what set her so on edge. It was the lack of life in the man. Never had she seen a pair of eyes so lifeless. Even the dead eyes of Mao taijin had some remnants of emotion left in them. But Vicious had just stared ahead when talking to her, no fear, no anger, and no hatred, nothing coloring his voice or actions. Faye truly hoped that she would never have to see him again.

Which was why she felt like banging her head against the wall when her 'escort team' stopped outside the lone elevator, 'cute brunette' slipping away from the group and ordering the rest of the men to take her to Vicious-sama's quarters.

  Though it didn't show, Vicious was slightly surprised when he opened the door to his apartment that evening. He had ordered his men to deposit Spike's crewmate into the small set of rooms he used whenever he was conducting overnight business in Tharsis. 

He expected the woman to be in the sitting room as he had locked the door to the inner set of rooms that morning before leaving. However, there was clearly nobody occupying the leather sofas and chairs positioned around the room. 

Cautiously, he opened the door that led to the rest of his apartment, one hand hovering over the handle of his kitana. The sight that greeted him was so odd that he actually let out a short bark of laughter. The sound was low and his voice was gravelly from disuse, but the sound was enough to draw the attention of one Faye Valentine.

Who was currently sitting in a chair in what could only be described as a breakfast nook, fiddling with the cork on a bottle of champagne. Surrounding by the unconscious and slightly bloody bodies of three of his best men. 

She looked up from the bottle, her jade eyes peering up at Vicious through several pieces of purple hair. Their eyes locked for a moment, neither knowing exactly what to say.

Faye made the first move as she straightened her body and then bowed to Vicious.

"I apologize for the mess but some of your men got the idea that I was here to entertain them. I had to…ahem…convince them that no means no."

In response, Vicious raised an eyebrow. "And the food and champagne?"

"Well, you see, I missed dinner tonight, since I was busy **being kidnapped** at the opera. I was hungry and your men refused to bring me any food. And everyone knows a lady should be pampered. Your men weren't willing to do it, so I was forced to do it myself." At this point Faye let out a very dramatic sigh. 

Vicious then noticed the smirk quickly forming on her face. Jet and Spike would have recognized that as the look that meant Faye was about to get into her 'women-with-attitude' mode.

"And here I was slaving all day over a hot stove for you! And what do I have to show for it? Nothing! You know, you'll make some girl a very lousy husband one day." Faye's mini tirade was complete with finger wagging and one hand firmly planted on her hip.

Even as the words were spilling from her lips, Faye knew that she was signing her own death warrant. Vicious was clearly not the type of man that enjoyed a little playful teasing here and there. Not like Spike. In fact, if she was judging his expression correctly right now, she was about to experience her last seconds here in this world. 

_Damn me and my big mouth. God, I even wagged my finger at him. What am I? His disapproving mother? Shit. Whenever I get that nervous I get an attitude. I can't help it. Maybe the green-haired idiot is right. Maybe I should watch what I say. Ugh.  Never! Like I would ever listen to anything that lazy ass told me!....... Why am I not dead yet? I was definitely expecting my throat to be slit by now._

Carefully, Faye opened her eyes to see Vicious once again staring at her. His expression retained its icy façade, devoid of any emotion. When he opened his mouth, he spoke so quietly that she had to lean forward slightly to hear his words.

"You have you life to show. For now."

*AUTHOR'S NOTES*

Ok…Chapter one out. I know I only mentioned Faye for one line in the prologue, but my mind tends to wander. And the prologue was supposed to follow the wanderings in Vicious' mind. Faye got him thinking about the syndicate. Or at least that's what I'm going to tell people to cover up the fact that I'm writing all this at like 4 in the morning so this might not make any sense, and I clearly have a quiz tomorrow morning. Oh well. ;) Review please!

PS- Does anyone know how to make italics work when posting things? Because mine aren't showing up.

   


	3. 2: Chinese takeout and forgotten memorie...

Disclaimer: I don't own Cowboy Bebop. I'm just borrowing it ;)

When Angels Fall from Heaven…

Chapter 2: Chinese take-out and forgotten memories

If anyone had asked Faye Valentine yesterday night what she thought she'd be doing the next day at around nine o'clock, this is not what she would have said. After watching Big Shot and seeing that bounty on Mao, she would have predicted herself drinking at a poker table in one of the casinos in Tharsis, having just come from a full body massage.

If anyone had asked Faye Valentine three hours ago what she thought she'd be doing at nine o'clock that night, this is not what she would have said. She would have said she'd be docking at the Bebop, yelling for Jet to come repair her ship which got shot up in a chase with some Syndicate goons.

In anyone had asked Faye Valentine twenty-five minutes ago what she thought she'd be doing at nine o'clock, this is not what she would have said. She would have said that she'd be dead by nine o'clock, Vicious having sliced her in half with that kitana of his.

Despite all her predictions, it was nine o'clock and Faye was eating Chinese take out. With Vicious. In his apartment. The thought alone was enough to make the inner Faye want to shake her head and give up. 

_My life really is strange. I wonder if it was this crazy before the cryo. MMmmm, god, this Peking duck is delicious!_

Without realizing it, Faye had moaned aloud.

"I take it the duck is to your liking?"

The sound of his voice, deep and throaty, startled Faye out of her thoughts.

"Yes, thank you. When I was a child, we used to fly over to China all the time and my father and I always used to go to the same restaurant and order Peking duck."

Faye's comment was said offhand, her mind still somewhat in shock over her current location. It took her a moment to realize what she had just said, that a memory had surfaced. Trying now, she couldn't recall any more details, like her father's face or the name of the restaurant. But the smell of the roasted duck, it was the same. _Even after seventy years, the smell is the same. _The thought brought a wave of nostalgia over Faye.

Vicious chose to remain quiet after her comment and raised his head to watch her expression. He noticed the slight widening of her eyes, as though what she had said shocked her. 

_I don't suppose she wanted to tell me something that personal. Interesting._

The signs of her shock quickly faded away to be replaced by what he was coming to recognize as the Poker Alice face. Still, he could see small signs of sadness in her face; the slight downward tilt of her red lips and dull look of her green eyes. However, even those small signs vanished as she looked up from her plate to face him.

All that was left was the smiling seductress, staring at him over a steaming plate of Peking duck, egg foo young, rice and spare ribs. For some reason, that thought left him feeling unsettled. 

The two continued to eat in silence, watching each other out of the corners of their eyes. 

It wasn't a tense silence, it was more of a thoughtful pause. Faye was relishing the chance to eat real, steaming hot food and decided to ignore her situation in favor of snatching the last shrimp dumpling out of the container on the table. 

Vicious, on the other hand, was actually enjoying, somewhat, being in the company of another person. It wasn't that he hated people so much, it was that Vicious hated stupid people. And he considered nearly everyone other than himself to be an idiot. To Vicious, at some point or another, everyone became a slave to their emotions. Stupid. When he was being honest with himself, he admitted that even he had his moment of utter stupidity. He had let himself go in those six months with Julia and Spike. He had made the mistake of trusting one and loving the other. Looking back, the signs were all there. The subtle touches in public, the shared glances, whispers when they thought nobody was looking. Giving his emotions free reign had cost him his "girlfriend", his "best friend" and nearly his life. 

Flashback

"Vicious!" The decrepit voice of the VAN echoed throughout the chamber, screaming disapproval.

"Your partner, Spike, has been killed." The announcement shocked the rest of the dragons in the chamber, Vicious could see their expressions out of the corner of his eyes.

_Idiots. That bastard is still alive and running from his fate._

Vicious' contempt for the VAN and his former partner shone clearly in his eyes.

"You should not look so smug Vicious. The fault for his death and the deaths of the other twenty dragons he was with is your fault."

His contempt for those old fools quickly turned to rage at the words. "How", his voice icy, "is this my fault?" 

"As his partner, it is your responsibility to watch over Spike. You are responsible for him as he is for you. His death and the death of the others on his team are a strike against you."

"And I suppose that you will blame Julia's death on me as well?"

"The blonde assassin is not dead. She is missing." The pronouncement was enough to allow Vicious' cool exterior to slip for a heartbeat. But the VAN saw that heartbeat and pounced.

"As the only surviving head of your unit, you must bear the full responsibility. YOU, Vicious, will pay back your debt to the syndicate…"

The rusty voices faded away in Vicious' mind, leaving him bitter and angry. After Spike and Julia's little disappearing act, he had to pay the price. As Spike knew he would. Twenty-one days in the chamber, of starvation and torture both mental and physical. Twenty-one days for the twenty-one dead dragons. When he got out, he found himself demoted and his public bank accounts stripped. Years of pay and bonuses stripped to pay reparations to the families of the deceased and bribes to the local police to cover up 'the incident'. He was forced to drag his broken body on missions that were beneath him, though he refused to answer to anyone other than the VAN itself. 

In the past two years, he had redeemed himself in the eyes of most of the Syndicate, except for the VAN. They had no trust or love for him. That had been reserved for the laughing darling of the Syndicate, Spike.   When he entered the musty chamber that housed the three relics he could see the distrust brewing in those ancient eyes. 

It mattered little. Soon everything would be set right again. The dragon would fall to the venomous snake. 

In the mean time, he had Ms.Valentine to keep him occupied. _Spike never could resist a damsel in distress._

Author's Notes

Yeah!…another chapter out of the way. A short one but a chapter nonetheless. Writing really makes you appreciate all the time other authors spend writing those massive, amazing chapters that they do. Speaking of which, I do have a good 50 pages of writing to go do (finals and make up work are a bitch) Read and **REVIEW please**. Let me know what you think about my little take on what goes on in Vicious' head. Thanks! ;)


	4. 3: You did what?

When Angels Fall from Heaven

Chapter 3: You did what?!?

Disclaimer:  No tengo nada.

_Mmmm. I haven't been this satisfied in ages. I don't know what it is that Vicious eats but it sure does a body good. _Faye's eyes slowly slid shut and a satiated grin spread across her face as she re-lived the past hour. _Mmm, that Peking duck was what started it all. Then the chocolate sauce and whip cream…that man is a god!_

Vicious noticed the satisfied look on Faye's face and couldn't help but feel a little smug. _I bet Spike has never seen her smile like that. Ha, that pathetic excuse for a man can't even do THAT right. _

The pair continued to rest in a comfortable silence, thinking their own rose-tinted thoughts. Until they heard a polite but firm knocking on the door.

"Vicious-sama. Sir." Cute Brunette's voice slowly reached Faye's ears through her mental haze.

"Enter."

Vicious' curt command snapped Faye out of her comatose state and her eyes widened in shock. She didn't want someone else coming in here and seeing her like this!  

As Faye quickly scrambled to adjust her clothes and wipe off her mouth, Cute Brunette, also known as Lin, entered the apartment.

He stopped a few steps short of the door leading to the kitchen, shocked at what he saw.

Vicious had on his usual blank expression, except Lin was positive there was a twinkle in his eye that normally wasn't there. And Faye…damn, Faye was sprawled out next to Vicious…and an empty mountain of Chinese food containers and ice cream dishes. (AN: Gotcha! ;P )  Apparently Lin's leader and his captive had been hungry. Extremely hungry. When his eyes met Faye's across the room, she had the humility to look sheepish and

Lin swore he saw a light pink blush flare across her cheeks.

More amused at the scene then annoyed, Vicious raised a pale eyebrow at his second in command.

"Excuse me sir. I just came to report that the rest of the men from Sanjuro's squad have arrived, as requested."

"Excellent. Have them ready to leave by two pm tomorrow."

"Yes sir, understood."

Lin quickly exited the room, his mind now focused on the orders he had been given. He wondered why Vicious would request Sanjuro's squad, who were no where near as skilled as his own men.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Back in Vicious' kitchen, Faye shot Vicious a dirty look over the mountain of white boxes.

"You could have at least given me a minute to make myself presentable! A girl needs to make a good impression after all. Hmph." Faye pouted and snuck a look at Vicious across the table.

He merely raised his eyebrow again and looked at Faye.

"Damnit, don't look at me like that. This is important."

"I wasn't aware that you were so vain." Vicious' voice snaked across the table and made Faye see red.

Only the glint of light on his sword stopped her from reaching across the table and throttling the silver-haired man. _And I thought Spike was infuriating. He has nothing on this man._

Faye let out a small hiss of air and tried to get her temper under control. She slowly let her Poker Alice side come out to play as she leaned back in her chair and seductively crossed her legs, looking Vicious up and down.

"Well, how am I supposed to seduce the man if the only time he sees me I'm covered in duck sauce? Hmmm?" Faye purred out that last question and gave Vicious a look that would melt most of the men in the solar system.

"Your time is wasted on Lin. He lives and breathes for his Syndicate, as he should."

"I bet you I could make him sing a different tune, _Vicious-sama_."

Vicious barely paused at his name rolling so seductively off of her tongue.

"You should be more worried about keeping your own head intact _Ms.Valentine_."

"But Vicious", Faye purred, "you need me as a hostage. And why would you kill such a lovely hostage?"

"Do not over-estimate your worth Ms.Valentine. A worm on a hook can catch just as many fish whether it is dead or alive."

"Depends on what you're trying to catch. And if you're after those idiot men on the ship, which I think you are, you have a surprise coming your way."

"Really?" _There goes the eyebrow again._

"Yes, really. I'm not exactly high up on the list of people they'd go dashing off to rescue." _Especially Spike. I **really** can't picture that lazy ass getting up off the couch to come rescue anyone. Especially me._

"Then if you are correct, why should I persist in keeping you alive?"

Faye went into a mild panic as she realized she had backed herself into a corner. _Shit._

She remained silent for a few moments as she tried to think up an appropriate response that would prevent Vicious from using that shiny katana of his to slit her throat. Before she could come up with anything suitable, Vicious began speaking.

"I suppose you'll just have to find some other way to make yourself useful to me, Ms. Valentine."

Faye felt a shiver run down her spine as she tried to decipher just what exactly Vicious meant by that. He gave her no further clarification as he stood up from his chair and moved over to stand in front of her.

_He's tall._ Was the only thought that came to mind as Faye stared up at the surprisingly attractive man who was now holding his hand out to her. She allowed him to help her out of her chair.

"Come" he commanded.

And she followed.

Author's Notes

Woo-hoo. Go me. Two chapters in less than a week. So what if my papers just aren't getting written. Anyways, just want to say a quick thank you to the lovely people who reviewed, you are beautiful! Sorry about that beginning, but I was feeling a little evil tonight. Still, I hope you all enjoyed, as always, direct any comments, PRAISE, whatever to that little review box down there. Thanks!


	5. 4: Wall Safes & Missions

When Angels Fall From Heaven

Chapter 4: Wall Safes & Missions

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nada. Nil. I am so broke right now it's amazing…

Faye dutifully followed Vicious up two flights of stairs and down the maroon carpeted hallways, all the while wondering where the hell he was taking her.

_Hopefully not somewhere where he can slit my throat and not have to worry about staining the carpet. _

Faye cringed inwardly at the thought. She had observed enough of the silver haired man to realize that even though he may have softened somewhat at dinner, he was still most likely the most dangerous man she had ever met. Even Spike who seemed unable to die didn't put that chill in her spine like Vicious did. There was something cold and dead and more than a little mad lurking in the depths of those gray eyes that made Faye shiver.

Vicious seemed oblivious to Faye's inner reverie as he came to a stop in front of a door in the center of the hallway.

He keyed in a code on the keypad next to the door and stepped aside to let Faye enter first.

"Such a gentleman Vicious!" Faye exclaimed only half sarcastic.

"Actually, if there had been any assassins in the room, they would have just killed you first and given me time to draw my kitana."

"Thanks Vicious. You really know how to make a girl feel loved" Faye fought very hard to keep the twinge of disappointment out of her voice.

_And here I thought I was actually starting to wear him down. Should have known better. That would be too easy. _

Vicious caught the end of the sharky grin Faye gave him as she sauntered into the room with renewed enthusiasm.

Faye paused in the middle of the room, looking around a waiting for Vicious to let her in on what they were doing here.

He stepped quickly over to a classical Chinese painting of a mountain and carefully slid the wood frame to the left. A small safe appeared from in the pain which Vicious proceeded to open and then pull out a folder. He quickly shut the safe back and slid the painting back in place.

_How…20th century… _Faye thought with a little shock.

Vicious then motioned with his eyes for her to take a seat on the leather couch to his left. She did and watched warily as Vicious took the seat across the coffee table from her.

"This is Alejandro Sanjuro."

Vicious pulled out a 3 x 5 photograph and handed it to Faye.

She took it out and dutifully studied the man in the picture. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with a strong jaw line and a full head of wavy dark hair. His tanned skin and handsome features made the scar along his right eye even more apparent, but it didn't take away from his overall appeal. He looked like someone Faye would see gambling in a casino with two women on each arm and a bottle of champagne in each hand.

_My kind of guy._

Her brief study of the picture over, Faye raised her eyes to look at Vicious.

"He is an associate in the Red Dragon Syndicate. He and his squad arrived at this location a few hours ago and plan on spending one night here before departing Mars. Before that happens you will gather information from him."

Faye took in Vicious' speech with a blank face.

"Regarding?"

"Regarding his uncle, Mauricio Desalva, who is a capo in the White Tiger Syndicate."

"And what is in this for me?"

"You keep yourself useful to me for the time being."

Faye's only visible reaction was the raising of her delicately shaped eyebrow.

"Done."

Author's Notes

Ok, short, I know. But I'm getting back into the swing of things. Plus I have absolutely no idea where this story is going…time to play the guessing game! Review please!


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